“You’ll have to be very quiet,” he murmured, his hands teasing her into a frenzy.
Rather than argue, Tricia managed to turn in his arms so his lips could replace his hands. This time his growl was a little less than quiet. She chuckled. “Same rules apply,” she whispered huskily.
And it was the last words either uttered for a long time.
Eight
After the wedding Saturday, there wasn’t another one for almost a month. It was sort of the elephant in the room when Ryan was getting ready to leave the next day.
“So…the eleventh, right?” he asked, looking at his calendar.
Tricia nodded.
That was a lot longer than he wanted and his schedule was pretty packed in between, which is what he told her.
“Ryan,” she began, “it’s okay. We both have lives and you live three hours away. It wasn’t like our sleeping together was going to change that.”
He knew she was going for casual but for some reason, hearing her describing what they were doing as merely sleeping together made him uncomfortable. They were sharing breakfast out on the deck and the thought of leaving was unappealing, but what else was new?
“Why don’t you come by me next weekend? I can show you my neck of the woods,” he suggested and was relieved when she smiled at him.
“Are you sure? I know you have a very busy schedule and I don’t want to interfere. I’ve already disrupted your time enough with these silly weddings.”
Taking one of her hands in his, he squeezed. “Well, these silly weddings were the best thing that could have happened.” He waited until her eyes met his. “I mean it, Tricia. I know I wasn’t on board with all of it in the beginning but now? Now that we’ve had the time to get to know each other, I’m really glad things worked out like this.” Then he stopped and chuckled. “Not that I’m happy about Sean getting hurt, but…you know.”
She nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. It’s just…well…we live so far apart. I’m sure it’s going to be difficult and then it will just get old – commuting back and forth. And…”
He placed a finger over her lips to stop her. “Let’s not think about that right now, okay? For now, let’s just enjoy what we have and take it one day at a time, okay?”
Ryan noticed a hint of sadness in her eyes but refused to comment on it. Instead he kissed the back of her hand and turned the conversation toward more neutral topics. “It was good to see Sean this morning.”
Earlier, as promised, Sean had used a computer to Skype with them. She nodded. “He looks way too thin. I can’t wait for him to get home so he can heal properly and get back to his old self.”
Honestly, Ryan had been more than a little dismayed by his brother’s appearance but it still had been good to actually see his face while they talked. “Be careful what you wish for,” he said with a smile. “He’ll have you running all over town for his favorite foods or have you cooking at all hours of the day and night if he knows you’re worried about him like that.”
“Oh, please. Sean would never…” Then she stopped and thought about it. “Never mind. You’re right. I’ll just have to make sure the pantry is well stocked.”
“Good girl.”
“Hopefully we’ll be able to get an actual return date out of him soon. I hate all this waiting around for answers.”
He couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You’re not big on patience though either.”
She gave him a wry look. “Seriously? You’re going to talk to me about patience?”
He knew exactly what she was referring to, what they both were referring to. “Sweetheart, where you’re concerned, I definitely don’t have patience. When I think about you and how much I want you, I almost can’t wait to have you.” His voice was low and possessive and he loved the way his words made her blush.
Standing, Tricia gave a long, sensual stretch before looking at him. She was wearing a snug tank top and a tiny pair of shorts. “How’s your patience level right now?”
Ryan kicked the chair out from under him in his haste to get to her. Without a word he lunged and swung her over his shoulder.
“Ryan!” she cried, laughing the entire time. “What in the world are you doing?”
He walked them into the house and was halfway up the stairs before he spoke. “I’m more demonstrative,” he finally said. “I mean, I could tell you where my patience level was at, but I think it would be a whole heck of a lot more fun to just show you.”
In her room, he playfully tossed her down onto the bed. He was peeling off his shirt before she even finished bouncing on the mattress.
“I do like a man of action,” she cooed, her eyes watching as each piece of clothing was tossed aside.
“And that’s why we’re perfect together,” he said before covering her body with his and kissing her senseless.
***
For the next month, they alternated weekends – one weekend in Jersey, the next back on the island. When it was time for wedding number four, they had pretty much established a bit of a routine.
Ryan would arrive on Friday afternoon, they’d go out to dinner, and then spend some time Skyping with Sean before they went to bed. Tricia was growing increasingly frustrated with her friend. She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t fighting harder for a release date from the hospital and coming home. Both Ryan and Steph seemed to agree with her, but Sean would only say that whenever he found out, he’d let them know.
Saturday morning, Tricia reluctantly got out of bed, kissing Ryan on the cheek.
“Where are you going?”
“My usual spa appointment. I had hoped to do it yesterday but my afternoon appointment ran over. So I’m going to get all pampered and pretty for tonight.”
He grinned at her. “You don’t need all that stuff, you know. You’re beautiful.”
She blushed. “And you’re very sweet for saying so but I’m never going to say no to a good mani/pedi.”
Shaking his head, he rolled over in the bed. “I don’t even want to know what that is.”
“Go back to sleep and I’ll be back in time for lunch.”
Once she was out in the car, Tricia let out a little happy sigh. She was excited about tonight’s wedding. Not that it was anything different from the previous ones, but it was the time she got to spend with Ryan that she was most looking forward to.
With their weekends together, they spent their time relaxing and just enjoying being with one another, but tonight? Tonight she’d get to dress up, dance with him and step out of their normal routine.
The dress she had purchased for the wedding was a little daring for her – strapless and cut above the knee in sapphire blue. There was a slit in the side that showed even more leg. The dress was so snug that only the tiniest of thongs would work with it. She thought of how Ryan would look at her and shivered.
They were more than halfway through this silly plan for the wedding season and once it was over, she couldn’t help but wonder where they’d stand. While Ryan had encouraged her to let things go one day at a time, it just wasn’t in her nature. She was a planner, a list maker. Making plans for her future was something she worked on daily. Once they didn’t have the weddings hanging over them, where would they be?
For the last month they’d made it work, but it was a bit exhausting to keep it up, probably more so for Ryan. Although the nature of Tricia’s job had her driving to her clients, Ryan’s job and clients had him traveling farther distances. It certainly wasn’t ideal for either of them to spend a large portion of their weekends driving to one another.
Don’t go there.
Pushing the thought aside, she focused on getting to Starbucks and grabbing herself something yummy and then the glorious hours of pampering she had ahead.
***
They were dancing to a slow song at the reception later that evening. Ryan pulled her closed and whispered in her ear, “You look incredible. Have I mentioned that?”
Actually, he had.
Multiple times.
But this was the first time he’d said it so intimately, his hot breath and the tone of his voice giving her the shivers she’d imagined earlier. One large hand was placed possessively at the base of her spine and made her feel very warm. As usual, she couldn’t wait for the end of the party when they could leave. As much as she loved celebrating with her friends, she loved being alone with Ryan even more.
When the music ended, they walked back to their table and chatted with friends. Everyone asked about Sean and when Tricia mentioned how they were currently Skyping with him, they talked about trying to use the app to get him on the phone so they could all see him.
“I…I’m honestly not sure if I know how to do that,” Tricia said. And before she knew it, someone had her phone and was installing the app and then everyone was encouraging her to make the call. Looking over at Ryan, he simply smiled and shrugged so she figured why not?
It took a little while for the call to go through but then there he was – a big smile on his face and a warm greeting and once he realized where she was, he seemed to brighten up even more. “This is freaking awesome!” he said. “Come on, pass the phone around! Let me talk to everyone!”
So Tricia handed the phone off and rested her head on Ryan’s shoulder.
“Hey,” he said softly. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I wish I had thought of this sooner. Maybe if I had done this from the beginning, he’d be more anxious to come home.”
He kissed the top of her head. “He is anxious to come home. It’s just that he’s in another country and he’s seriously hurt. The doctors want to make sure he’s okay to travel and his injuries are healed enough for it. You can’t take it personally.”
“I don’t, I just…I don’t know. Maybe I am. I just wish he were here and everything was back to normal.”
Ryan stiffened beside her.
“What?” she asked softly. “What’s the matter?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.” His tone was light and his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Someone called their names and when they turned, her phone was being held up and Sean was looking at them. “You two are adorable!” Sean said with a grin. “It’s nice to see you out and about together. Don’t you guys all think they’re adorable together?” He asked the group at the table. After a collective “yes,” he put his attention back on Tricia and Ryan. “I’m seriously happy for the two of you.”
Tricia knew Sean well enough to know he was up to something. She saw it in his eyes as a trickle of unease made its way down her spine. What in the world was he going to do?
“Which makes me wonder,” he said, his grin growing. “When will we all be sitting around a table celebrating your wedding?”
She didn’t have to look at Ryan to know he was shocked by Sean’s question and Tricia was certain she’d lost every ounce of color in her face. Soon, everyone at the table was inquiring about their future and all Tricia could do was stare mutely at the telephone screen. This was exactly the sort of thing she was hoping to avoid by having a date and Sean knew it! She couldn’t believe he’d say something so stupid!
Sean started to laugh. “Aww…don’t be shy. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that. Tell you what, since I haven’t had the chance to hang out with you two since you started dating, let me just see you kiss and I’ll drop all talk about any future wedding. What do you say?”
Tricia wanted to strangle him! What was wrong with him? She was just about to stand up and reach for the phone when Ryan spun her around and hauled her into his lap. “Ryan…what the…?”
She never got to finish. His lips claimed hers in a kiss so hot, so sensual that she almost melted to the floor from the pure heat of it. His tongue plundered, his hand anchored into her hair as the other held her securely against him. Everything in her clamored to wrap around him – even with the audience – but she managed to hold on to an ounce of dignity and just kiss him back as if her life depended on it.
When the wolf whistles and howls began to die down, Ryan lifted his head. His eyes were glazed and he gave her a look that promised pure sin when he had her alone. Carefully, he helped Tricia back into her chair and then he stood and reached for the phone. “Tell everyone goodnight, little brother.” His voice was calm – almost too calm – and Tricia knew he was angry.
“It was great to see everyone! I promise to get in touch when I’m back in the States!” Sean said and then grinned when it was just Tricia and Ryan looking at him. “So…having fun?”
Tricia was aware there were still a lot of people looking at them and gently nudged Ryan. “If you don’t mind, Sean,” she said sweetly, “I think they’re getting ready to cut the cake. We’ll talk to you soon, okay?” And before he could answer, Ryan had hung up.
He handed her the phone and joined the conversation around the table, which had turned to sports. For a few minutes, she was happy to simply sit back and listen but her mind kept going back to Sean. Why would he embarrass them like that?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the DJ announcing the bride and groom were indeed ready to cut the cake. This filled her with relief because she was definitely ready for this night to end. She had a feeling Ryan was merely holding his tongue where his brother was concerned until after they left the wedding and were alone. It really wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to. She had primped and planned so much for this night and she wanted to strangle Sean for ruining it.
Once dessert was done, Ryan looked at her. “You ready?”
She nodded and put her hand in his when he stood. They made their rounds through the room and said their goodbyes, explaining how Ryan was leaving in the morning to head back to New Jersey and they wanted to get home early. No one held them up because they clearly thought they wanted to be alone.
The whole time they walked around, Ryan’s hand was always possessively on either her back or hip and when they were finally outside and walking toward his car, it seemed to be urging her forward. They didn’t speak the entire way home and the air around them seemed to crackle with tension. When they pulled into the driveway and parked the car, Ryan suddenly seemed incredibly calm.
Casually, he walked around to Tricia’s door and helped her out and they walked quietly to the door. She felt extremely anxious and seemed unable to draw a complete breath. When she preceded him into the house, she was unsure of where she should go or what she should do. In her mind, she had everything planned for how she wanted the night to go, but after the whole Skyping thing with Sean, she sort of felt like they should at least talk about it.
Turning, she watched as Ryan closed and locked the door and shut off the outside light. Bathed in nothing but the moonlight, Tricia took a steadying breath. “I wish I knew why Sean…”
Ryan’s mouth on hers stopped her from saying anything else. Clearly he didn’t want to talk about it and for right now, Tricia was more than okay with that. For now she’d let herself forget about the awkward conversation and go back to her original plan for the night. Although with the way things were moving along right now, she wasn’t going to get to seduce Ryan at all; he was the one intent on seducing her.
Lifting his head from hers, she felt his hand skim along her jaw right before he scooped her up in his arms and began climbing the stairs. Tricia rested her head on his shoulder and smiled. This was so much better than having a conversation about…well…anything.
For tonight, she’d be happy to converse with Ryan through nothing more than the touch of her hand and the sound of her sighs.
***
“I’m not going home today,” Ryan said the next morning while Tricia was sprawled across his chest.
She lifted her head and looked at him. “How come?”
He sighed. Long after Tricia had fallen asleep, he’d stared at the ceiling thinking about Sean’s behavior on the phone. Something wasn’t right. The entire situation wasn’t right and Ryan was determined to get to the bottom of it.
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br /> “I think I want to go and visit my mom.”
Tricia looked at him in confusion. “Really? Where is she at these days? I haven’t talked to her since we went to dinner with her last month.”
“Yeah, she’s been a little hard to pin down but she mentioned during one of our very brief phone conversations she was going to her place on Fire Island.”
“What? But…that’s so close by. Why would she go there and not call? We always get together when she’s over there.” She sat up. “I mean…I know she doesn’t have to invite me, but ever since I started renting the house, that was something we always did.”
Ryan nodded. “Exactly. And she knew I was going to be here too for some of the time and she’s always pestering me about not visiting enough. So why is she being so secretive? Why all the radio silence all of a sudden?”
“Do you really think she’s still over there? Maybe she only went for a day?”
“Between her weird behavior and Sean’s, I don’t know what’s going on. But I can at least go and talk to her in person and get a little insight into all of it. I have no choice but to wait until Sean’s back here in the States.”
“I don’t know what got into him last night. It could have just been him having a little fun at our expense, but…”
This time he shook his head. “No. Something’s off. He’s another one who’s being secretive. If he’s seriously stuck over there for all this time, there’s no reason why no one should have gone to see him. If Mom and I were willing to take the time, she should have been happy to have us there. I think something’s wrong.” He stopped for a minute. “I mean, more serious than he’s letting on.”
Tricia gasped. “Do you really think so?”
“Why else isn’t he home yet or letting us come to him? You know how he is, Trish. He loves the attention and to be a little pampered. It goes with him being the baby of the family. If we were willing to go over there and make a fuss over him, why didn’t he let us?”
Marry Me: a Wedding Romance Duet Page 26